Date: March 6, 2026
It is a considerable honor for Virginia Theological Seminary to host a sculpture by Murray Dewart, an artist of international reputation whose work appears in museums and public collections around the world. Dewart’s career includes major public commissions in China, Israel, and across the United States, along with more than two hundred group exhibitions and numerous solo shows. Critics have long praised the scale, confidence, and spiritual depth of his work. The presence of a Dewart sculpture on this campus is especially meaningful because his connection to VTS runs deep: his father was an alumnus of the seminary. The installation of this work means that a Dewart sculpture now becomes a permanent part of the art and visual landscape of VTS, adding yet another reason for visitors to explore the beauty and intellectual life of the campus.
Dewart is best known for his distinctive bronze and granite sculptures that often take the form of monumental structures reminiscent of gates. These forms evoke ideas of passage, movement, and reflection—suggesting the journey of life and the moments of pause that allow us to contemplate where we have been and where we are going. Critics have noted the serenity and strength of these works, and many observers see echoes of Asian architectural traditions, especially the torii gates that mark the entrance to Shinto shrines. In this way, Dewart’s work quietly gestures toward an interfaith sensibility: a sculpture rooted in Western artistic traditions yet resonant with spiritual imagery that stretches across cultures.
The deeper inspiration for this particular sculpture, however, comes from the poetry of William Blake—specifically the famous line from the poem later set to music as the hymn Jerusalem: “Bring me my Bow of burning gold.” Blake’s image evokes the determination to resist injustice and build a more faithful society even amid what he called the “dark Satanic mills.” The bow of burning gold symbolizes courage, moral clarity, and a willingness to stand against the forces of tyranny. As this sculpture now stands permanently on the grounds of VTS, it offers more than aesthetic beauty; it becomes a reminder of vocation. For a seminary dedicated to forming leaders for the church, it quietly calls us to the work of justice, faithfulness, and hope in the world.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and the President of The General Theological Seminary.